


The One Left Out (The Grumpy Genius Remix)

by Estiraven (Estirose)



Category: Power Rangers Ninja Storm
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-15
Updated: 2010-05-15
Packaged: 2017-10-09 11:01:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/86557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Estirose/pseuds/Estiraven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cam is the one always left behind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The One Left Out (The Grumpy Genius Remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Angel_Negra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angel_Negra/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Q&amp;A](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25415) by [Angel_Negra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angel_Negra/pseuds/Angel_Negra). 



It wasn't too long after Cam was done cheering that he reminded himself that the whole victory had been won by three of their worst students. Sure, they had won, but probably against one of Lothor's weakest leaders - not likely one of the toughest, given that they'd defeated him so easily. It had been exhilarating, to see the Morphers in action, though, and get caught up in the excitement after they'd _finally_ figured out how to morph.

The old feeling of being left out, of being the one who had to stay behind, of years of having to be told that he wasn't going to be trained, was starting to kick in. Once again, he'd been forced to sit on the sidelines as others became ninja; he was forced to hide in Ops while three slackers saved the day.

Of course, the fact that the three of them could save the day at all was due to his own brilliance. They'd managed to keep Lothor's forces from completely taking over thanks to his own work, at least.

Ever since his father had objected to him learning the ways of the ninja - forbid him time and time again - Cam had chosen to direct his energy into what he did best - which was technical things. Electronic equipment was his specialty, and he was one of the few people on Earth who could fix morphers and keep them in working order.

He still wanted to be a ninja, though. And even though he'd picked up ninja techniques on the sly, he wanted to be recognized as one, not just Sensei Watanabe's technical-genius son. He wanted to be a ninja who happened to be Sensei Watanabe's technical-genius son.

But it still wasn't going to happen, so he watched as the excited new Rangers filed in, still excastic at their victory. And he couldn't help but smile a little bit, despite his own feelings, because his own Academy, people from his own Academy, had saved the day. It could have been an Academy in Japan or someplace else, but it turned out the people who saved the day were the people that his father was at least attempting to train.

He listened to his father caution the three of them about the fact that Lothor would keep coming and coming and coming; why didn't they think he'd be coming again anyway? Just because they'd won one victory didn't mean they'd won the war. Which meant that he'd have to tolerate them, get to understand them.

It wasn't going to be easy.

His father directed the three of them to the table, and called for him. "Cam," he said, as if Cam was part of the group that he'd never belonged to.

Settling gracefully at the table and watching the others take their seats, he fielded the inevitable question from Shane. "Ninja Ops," he said, with some pride. It wasn't the greatest name ever, but hey, it was his idea!

Of course, Tori had to question it, and Cam sighed. Sometimes the most obvious things escaped these people. Of course it would be called Ninja Ops. They were ninjas, this was their base of operations, what did they expect? The great-and-mighty-hideout-of-the-Secret-Wind-Academy-Ninjas?

"Ninja Ops" was far easier to say, anyway.

"What?" he demanded, raising his hands defensively. "We're a ninja school and this is our base of operations."

"Dude's got a point," Dustin said, and Cam was relieved that one of them got it - or at least wasn't going to complain or argue.

"Yes, Dustin, he does. Now perhaps, we can focus on your new training schedules?" Cam's father asked, flipping up on the table.

Cam held back a groan, thinking of having to spend more time watching these three foul up. He wasn't the only one, though, for Shane had to protest too. "Dude, new ones?"

His father's expression twitched so slightly that one would had to have known him for years to know that he was, too, mildly annoyed. "Yes, Shane. Lothor is a formidable enemy and we need to be prepared for anything he attempts."

As one of the three would have said, "Duh." This wasn't going to be easy, did these three understand that? Could they understand that if they slipped _once_, if they lost, then Lothor would conquer the world?

"What does he want on Earth anyway? He's a Space Ninja, right? Why us?" Tori looked about as thrilled to be doing this as Cam was to have her and the others involved. But she had a point. Lothor had no reason to be attacking Earth. Of course, that hadn't stopped anybody from trying to invade, did it?

Of course, Lothor's arrival hadn't been *totally* unexpected, apparently. His father had been on his guard, so he had to be a reason. He'd have to pry it out of his father later if his father didn't say anything to the trio.

"Maybe he wants to tell Oscar the Grouch to get lost," Dustin said, interrupting any thoughts Cam might have had, and causing him to groan inwardly. The fact that Dustin's pronouncement seemed to have confused the rest of them said that it wasn't just him, though. What did Sesame Street have to do with evil Ninjas from Space?

Shane spoke up, quirking a bushy eyebrow at Dustin. "What does Sesame Street have to do with alien invaders, dude?"

Dustin blinked, as if it hadn't occured to him that nobody would get his reference. "Um. You know... Lothor. Lothar the Grouch...?" He seemed more interested in the dust on the table than anything else at the moment.

Cam wondered where Dustin's mind went to sometimes, and if they could bottle it up and sell it to the invaders. It would make his life so much, much easier.

Shane cleared his throat, drawing Cam's attention back to him. "So, what kind of new training schedules are we talking about, Sensei?"

At least one of them was making sense, Cam figured as he let his father talk about scheduling. He tuned them out as he started thinking of what needed to be done to make sure their Zords were ready. He was sure, if everything held true, that they'd need them. And they'd need them to be in good shape. After all, it would be their first time in the Zords and he didn't want the things to fail because he forgot something. Best to leave anything messy to the new Rangers.

"Okay, Dude, er, Sensei," Dustin said, practically bouncing. "Like, we'd better go before anybody gets suspicious."

"He's right," Tori said. "We still have homework." She frowned, as if she'd forgotten something, but said nothing as she and the others went off to their civilian lives.

Leaving himself and his father alone in Ops. He thought about settling into his bedroom away-from-home, but there were things he wanted to ask his father. At least that cart he'd made as an experiment was proving to be useful, he thought, as his father settled down in it. It was definitely weird to see his father as a guinea pig.

"I'll have to get feed," he said out loud. There had to be a pet store in Blue Bay Harbor that would have it. That would keep his father fed until he could be returned to his normal self.

"What bothers you, Cam?" his father asked, as if he hadn't heard. Or if Cam's feelings were more important than him eating. Cam was sure that his father was still adjusting to his new size as well.

"Do you really need to ask?" Cam asked in return, and sighed as his father's head tilted in that way that said that he wasn't going to go away. Not that they could go far away from each other, not now, not when Lothor was threatening the planet and his father was a guinea pig.

Cam was not about to abandon his father, or the world, and his father knew that.

"I promised your mother," his father said, sighing. As if that would make things better. As if he wasn't being passed over because he wasn't a ninja. And his father knew it too. "Cam, you are still useful, too."

Yeah, as the person to ignore except as things went wrong, but Cam bit his tongue and didn't say it out loud. "I'm going to bed," he said, and swept out of the room. Maybe he'd be lucky and the others would defeat Lothor soon.

But again, maybe not.


End file.
